Capital 55, Skyview 12

Jackson Reed and quarterback Max Clark connected four times for 139 yards, propelling the Eagles to an easy victory over the Hawks. Two of Reed’s touchdowns came from 40-plus yards out, while Clark tacked on a seven-yard scamper for a score himself. 

Capital forced a pair of turnovers early in the game, helping build a 20-0 lead the Hawks couldn’t overcome. 

Capital will face the Boise Brave for its second game of the season Oct. 2. Skyview’s third contest of 2020 will come against Borah. 

Lewiston 24, Sandpoint 6

History did not repeat itself, as Lewiston prevented a second-straight loss to the Sandpoint Bulldogs in a defensive showcase Friday night. 

Sandpoint managed just 45 yards on the ground, as the Bengals sacked Bulldog quarterback Parker Pettit three times and recorded a trio of turnovers. Lewiston quarterback Kash Lang didn’t test the Bulldog secondary, throwing just 92 yards on seven completions. Instead, the Bengals kept it on the ground, With Lang, Joel Brume, Elliott Taylor and Cruz Hepburn all gaining 40 or more yards apiece. 

Lewiston will face newcomer Moscow next Friday in the Bears’ second game of the year next Friday. Sandpoint will play Lake City. 

Highland 30, Madison 14

The Bobcats kept it close, holding the Rams to just a touchdown and a field goal in the first half. But the high powered Highland defense forced a pair of interceptions and five total turnovers on the night. On offense, the quarterback rotation continued, with Jack Whitmer taking over with great success. 

In place of Easton Durham, Whitmer threw a pair of touchdowns, going seven for 10 and 151 yards. 

The Rams move on to Thunder Ridge for the second time this year Oct. 2. Madison will search for its first win of the year against Skyline. 

Moscow 54, Bonners Ferry 7

It took a while, but the Moscow Bears finally showcased what they’re capable of. 

Moscow punched the ball in eight times on the ground, led by Isaiah Murphy’s 150 yards and three scores. The game was Moscow’s first after COVID-19 concerns initially canceled the season. 

The Bears will play Lewiston next Friday. Bonners Ferry will play St. Maries. 

Vallivue 54, Caldwell 0

The Cougars have not seen much gridiron action in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions, and the rust became painstakingly obvious in a cross-town rivalry blowout against the Falcons. 

Quarterback Casey Cope ran for a pair of touchdowns, throwing for four more and garnering more than 200 yards of total offense. Receiver Lincoln Marler hauled in three passes — all for touchdowns. 

The Falcons, currently in the midst of their best start in a decade, face Nampa next Friday. Caldwell plays Emmett. 

Pocatello 32, Idaho Falls 6

The season-long troubles for the Tigers continued Friday night, as Pocatello continued to prove its legitimacy against 5A competition. 

Indian quarterback Zach Park threw for 168 yards and three touchdowns, missing just six of his 26 pass attempts, while running back Ryken Echohawk gained 70 yards on 11 handoffs. Matt Christensen led in the passing game, hauling in six balls for 87 yards and all three of Park’s scores.

The Indians move on to Burley Oct. 2. Idaho Falls will search for its first win of the season against Rigby Oct. 2. 

Nampa 41, Emmett 40

The Huskies’ dream season took a hit in a Southern Idaho Conference shootout.

Nampa struck gold and paydirt on third downs time and time again. And with their backs against the wall, the Bulldog defense stopped a two-point conversion attempt at the goal line with 40 seconds left to seal the deal.

Isaak Plew found the end zone four times through the air, all on either third or fourth down plays. The senior signal caller hooked up with Efrain Lopez for three of those scores, the longest an 80-yard bomb over the middle that put Nampa up 33-28 with seven minutes left - just moments after the Huskies had taken their first lead of the night. 

After Emmett regained the lead 34-33 on Westyn Smith’s fourth rushing touchdown of the night, Plew led the Bulldogs down the field and ran it in for a four-yard score and then tossed a two-point conversion to Jacon Butler to make it 41-34 with 53 seconds left.  

Emmett’s Caden Young, however, hit Jack Maxwell with a 72-yard scoring strike on the first play of the next possession to pull the Huskies within one with 41 seconds left. Emmett went for two and a Young to Caseyn Pearson completion was stopped at the goal line to preserve the Nampa win. 

The Huskies play Caldwell next Friday, while Nampa takes on Vallivue.

Skyline 49, Bonneville 0

The Grizzly secondary shut down any chance of a Bonneville air attack, allowing just 44 yards passing. The Bees found even less success on the ground, gaining just 20. 

Skyline quarterback Cade Marlow, meanwhile, threw for 190 yards and two touchdowns. But the blowout win didn’t come without some offensive troubles. Marlow was picked off twice by Jordan Robinson, who also recovered a Grizzly fumble. 

Skyline plays Madison Oct. 2, while Bonneville plays Shelley.

Century 31, Twin Falls 8

The Diamondback defense shutout Twin Falls in the final three quarters, outgaining the Bruins 280-161 threw the air thanks to the arm of quarterback McKean Romriell. The Century QB couldn’t resist finding his favorite target downfield, as Bruin Fleischmann took advantage of a giving Twin Falls secondary, racking up 170 yards. 

Century takes on Thunder Ridge for a Thursday night showdown Oct. 1. The Bruins will play Wood River Friday. 

Carey 40, Wood River 16

Multiple times a season, a team of a lower classification will play above its pay grade. And many times, those lower-tier teams will pull the upset against a school with more athletes and more firepower. 

However, a matchup between an 11-man and eight-man football squad could be considered a rare gem, which is exactly what the Panthers and Wolverines gave us Friday night. 

When on offense, 1ADII Carey would field its traditional eight players on offense, while Wood River would trot out its usual 11 for their turn at scoring. And against a limited Wood River defense, the Panthers took every opportunity of the rare 1A-4A matchup. 

Fruitland 18, Weiser 15

Once again, a ground-heavy strategy worked in the Grizzlies’ favor. 

Fruitland prevented Weiser from enacting its revenge after off-the-field coaching drama added some extra intrigue to Friday’s contest. Dylan Stelling, Hunter Forbes and Karson Lutter helped the Grizzlies gain 212 yards on the ground. 

Fruitland takes on McCall-Donnelly Oct. 2, while Weiser plays Payette. 

Payette 31, Parma 28

The Pirates pulled off the near-impossible, stunning Parma after a last-second field goal secured a 21-6 comeback by Payette. 

Quarterback Abe Rodriguez threw for four touchdowns, two of which going to Ty Waynetska, helping Payette close the gap after heading to the locker room faced with a seemingly insurmountable deficit. An interception late by Zander Allen helped put his team in position to score. Martin Ceballos nailed the game-winner from 40 yards out. 

The Panthers, winless on the year, will play Homedale Oct. 2. Payette will hope to win its fourth game in a row against Weiser.

Melba 41, Cole Valley Christian 0

The Mustangs could not have asked for a better way to open conference competition. 

Senior quarterback Henry Clark led the Melba offense with 274 yards and three touchdowns, keeping it clean with no interceptions. Clark hit receiver Cameron Wood for 148 yards through the air. Clark also made an impact on defense, recording four tackles and a pick.

Melba will play Marsing Oct. 2. The Chargers will also have Marsing as their next opponent, but on Oct. 9. 

West Side 7, Bear Lake 0

The Pirates don’t pride themselves on a prolific offense. And that seems just fine by them.

In yet another defensive slugfest, the defending 2A state champions came out on top by a narrow margin. The night’s lone score came on a four-yard touchdown run by Cristian Plancarte. The Pirate defense held normally productive Bear Lake quarterback Owen Teuscher to just 76 yards, picking him off three times. 

West Side, now 5-0, plays Soda Springs next Friday. Bear Lake faces Malad Oct. 9. 

Timberlake 33, St. Maries 22

The Tiger defense smothered the Lumberjack offense, forcing seven turnovers and allowing just 94 rushing yards. Kale Paslay, Ashton Peightal, Joseph Borges and Carter Fortin each nabbed an interception. Timberlake kept it on the ground for most of the night, with Grady Woodworth leading the charge with 85 yards and a touchdown. Fortin also ran for 48 yards and another touchdown. 

St. Maries plays Bonners Ferry next Friday, while Timberlake moves on to 4A Lakeland. 

Lakeside 46, Wallace 14

The Knights blew past the Miners in a perfect showcase of all three phases, outpacing Wallace 495-117 on offense, despite running 10 less plays. 

Lakeside’s secondary enacted a no-fly-zone Friday night, with the Miners completing just one pass for negative-18 yards. The Knights did all their damage on the ground, rushing for 481 yards, led by Vander Brown, who gained 259. Jason and Quincy Hall each ran for 75 apiece. 

The Knights will face a much tougher opponent in Mullan-St. Regis next Friday. Wallace will play Deary.

Notus 40, Idaho City 20

Kaeden Clemens rose to the occasion, preserving the Pirates’ win streak behind a 202-yard performance. Clemens tossed a trio of touchdowns, while Carter Woodland rushed for 109 yards, hauling in two of Clemens' scores. 

Notus, now 4-0, takes on Greenleaf Friends Oct. 2. Idaho City will play Rimrock. 

Raft River 66, Lighthouse Christian 14

While the Lions had previously dominated in their new classification, the Trojans handed Lighthouse Christian its first loss since the 2018 state championship. 

The Lions suffered on third down, converting just two of 11. Raft River, meanwhile put up a rushing tour de force, gaining 447 yards behind running back Ethan Bernad’s 217-yard night. Raft River shut out Lighthouse Christian in the second half, outscoring the Lions 24-0 in the final two quarters. 

The Lions will hope to rebound against Murtaugh Oct. 2. Raft River plays Glenns Ferry. 

Dietrich 34, North Gem 24

The Cowboys couldn’t keep last week’s momentum moving, falling to Dietrich a week after knocking off unbeaten Rockland. 

Quarterback Brady Power tore up the North Gem defense in a balanced onslaught, throwing for 117 yards and running for another 80, scoring three times. Power found receiver Jett Shaw in the open field for 73 yards and a touchdown. 

The 5-0 Blue Devils’ next scheduled game will be Carey Oct. 23. North Gem will play Hagerman Oct. 2. 

Watersprings 26, Rockland 20

A hot start has quickly gone cold for the Bulldogs, with a pair of back-to-back losses marring what could have been a perfect Rockland season. 

Matt Almgren scored four times for the Warriors, three of which coming on the ground. His fourth came on a returned fumble — 39 yards to the house in the third quarter. The Bulldogs attempted to force a comeback, with Rockland quarterback Braden Permann scoring on a pair of runs.

Watersprings takes on Challis next Friday. Rockland, now 0-2 in conference play, faces Shoshone Oct. 9.